


A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Staunch Search (Reader x Duncan Quagmire)

by Reina_Eru



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket, ASOUE
Genre: ASOUE - Freeform, Adventure & Romance, F/M, Hidden truths, Mystery, Revelations, Secret Organization, Secrets, Volunteer Fire Department, vfd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29396958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reina_Eru/pseuds/Reina_Eru
Summary: Dear Reader,After 9 years since it was known that the Baudelaire orphans have left the island, I have finally found sufficient evidence of the events the transpired afterwards.If by chance you have been quite unlucky these past few days, then I regret to inform you that today is another unlucky day for you. If you have thought that the terrible tales about the lives of the Baudelaire orphans were already finished, I suggest you continue living on with that belief. It would be best to find another book to read in order to spare yourself from the misery and despair that awaits you upon further progression into this book's contents.Surely there must something more preferable than reading about what happened to the two sets of well-known orphans,  a former hotel manager, a vague trail of sightings, scrumptious carrot cake,  and other unpleasant details you certainly would not be interested in.With all due respect,Reina Eru
Relationships: Duncan Quagmire/Reader, Duncan Quagmire/You, Klaus Baudelaire & Isadora Quagmire, Klaus Baudelaire/Isadora Quagmire, Violet Baudelaire & Quigley Quagmire, Violet Baudelaire/Duncan Quagmire, Violet Baudelaire/Quigley Quagmire
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A fanfiction based on Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate of Events, with a mix of references from the books and Netflix adaptations. Female Reader Insert x Duncan Quagmire is also incorporated. This book follows the Netflix canon of the 13th episode "The End", set in the future.
> 
> This will be a female reader-insert type of fanfiction. As in usual reader-insert stories are, here's the usual terms that will be seen:
> 
> [Y/N] or [Name] - your name
> 
> [L/N] - last name
> 
> [H/C] - hair color
> 
> [E/C] - eye color
> 
> [F/C] - favorite color
> 
> This story takes place 9 years after the events of A Series of Unfortunate Events: The End. Mixed references from the Netflix canon and the book series will be made throughout the story.
> 
> Here are the ages of the main characters, who are now young adults (with the exception of Sunny):
> 
> The Baudelaires
> 
> Violet - 25 years old
> 
> Klaus - 23 years old
> 
> Sunny - 12 years old
> 
> The Quagmire Triplets - 24 years old
> 
> The Reader (You) - More or less a few months younger than the Quagmires, but several months older than Klaus Baudelaire. Let's just say you have the role of a young female adult in this tale.
> 
> Now is your last chance, know that it is not too late to turn back. For you should know that pleasantness is what this story lacks.

It was another gloomy day in the City. Although numerous parks and other objects of greenery had been placed all over the districts, one could still feel that the gloomy atmosphere of the City continues to remain. You were sitting on a park bench at Welch St. in the Stationery District, casually observing your surroundings while trying not to attract any attention as much as possible. You were dressed in a cozy maroon hoodie, black leggings, and ordinary white running shoes. There was a large paper bag at your side with a printed logo that clearly stated "Matty's Top Quality Writing Tools and Books". To the eyes of common folk, you were just another citizen who visited this particular district to refill their writing supplies.

There wasn't any scenery to admire in this part of the city, so others would most likely assume that you sat down on the bench to wait for your ride— or possibly wait for someone to come, although that clearly wasn't anyone's business but yours. However, it was the truth. You were waiting for someone to arrive in this particular part of the Stationery District, and you have already spent at least three weeks waiting for that someone to show up. Finding that specific person was not your top priority before, especially since you have heard that person has started living a seemingly peaceful and normal life not long after the destruction of Hotel Denouement. Unfortunately, things have changed and you had no choice but to reach out to this person, as it seemed that they might possibly have useful information regarding your previous tasks.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" A young man carrying several paperbags suddenly asked you, eyeing the unoccupied part of the bench that you were sitting on.

"No, not at all." You replied, taking a quick glance at the his features. Judging by the way he was dressed, he was obviously a college student from one of the city universities. Not just any university, but a prestigious and a very well-known university. Neatly combed brown hair, green eyes, fair-skinned, a few inches taller than you, and an oddly striking resemblance to— you weren't sure at all, but you were determined to find out if your assumption was correct.

"I didn't realize this was a sad occasion." You spoke, maintaining a neutral expression as you kept your eyes on the young man's face.

"The world is quiet here." He automatically responded, as if it was part of his natural instincts to do so. He let out an audible gasp as your assumption was confirmed, but you managed to remain neutral despite his reaction. You weren't sure if he was planning to take off or not, but you quietly hoped that he wouldn't. You were definitely not in a running mood today.

"Are you...?" he trailed off, seeming unsure of what to ask.

"You must be Duncan Quagmire, are you not?" You pulled out a newspaper from your paper bag and showed it to him. The front page featured a photograph of a group of journalists holding up several items of recognition. "The City's Top Journalists Brought The Bacon Home Again," you read out the headline. "You're the one in the middle, right?"

"That's correct... So who are you and how do you know that phrase?" The award-winning journalist asked.

Surprisingly enough, he didn't seem like he was going to make a run for it right now. After all the trouble that he experienced from the fire-starting side of V.F.D., you expected that he would at least be a little more cautious. But then again, that had been around several years ago already.

"Look, I know that you've been living a peaceful life for the past few years or so, but you should still be careful with talking to strangers." You shook your head at him.

"Well-read people are less likely to be evil, are they not?" Duncan casually stated. "Your receipt is stapled outside your paper bag and it reveals that you have purchased several books about architecture. Maybe I'm wrong and you've bought those books for someone else, but I have a strong feeling that you're not an evil person at all."

Huh, that was a good observation and not exactly a bad explanation, you thought to yourself. Of course, Duncan Quagmire had keen observational skills. He was an award-winning journalist, after all.

"Fair enough." You responded in agreement. "I'll tell you who I am, but only somewhere where it's safe to talk. And since you don't have a clue about my identity, I'll let you choose the place. Just in case you might suspect that I could take you somewhere unsafe."

"Understandable. Would you like to have dinner with my siblings and me? It's only a few blocks away." Duncan asked. "I think my siblings would be interested in meeting you."

You didn't expect that you would be meeting all of the Quagmire triplets today, but you didn't see any point of delaying the encounter. "It would certainly be an honor to have dinner with the Quagmire triplets. Lead the way, Mr. Quagmire."

The two of you stood up from the bench and started walking away from the Stationery District, with you following the Quagmire triplet's lead. Duncan happened to be an excellent conversationalist, as you two were able to find a common interest in your favorite TV show. It turns out he had been tasked to write critical reviews regarding that particular show and had watched it several times in order to gain a further understanding of different analytic perspectives.

"It's absolutely a fantastic show. I would definitely binge-watch it again after this semester," Duncan chuckled, stopping in front of a well-lit 3-story apartment. "Here we are." He took out a pair of keys and unlocked the front door, gesturing for me to enter first.

If anything bothered you, it was the amount of trust Duncan Quagmire was showing you. Then again, you reminded yourself that he and his siblings were probably not involved in any volunteer-related activities, thus being able to live with greatly lessened paranoia. Even so, you wondered why Duncan hadn't pressured you into revealing your identity yet.

Duncan told you to kindly wait in the living room area and you nodded, carefully taking in your surroundings. The Quagmire triplets lived in a 3-story in the Literature District in the City. You were in their living room at the moment, which had a comfy sofa set in various shades of dark blue, matching the plain pastel blue walls. There was also a large flatscreen television on the far side of the room, along with a modern-styled white lamp at the center of a ceiling. You also noticed that underneath the television was a wide bookshelf filled with books of various genres. They were mostly about poetry, cartography, and journalism.

Across the front door was a doorway leading further into the apartment, and you could slightly see the stairs from here. Duncan soon came out of the doorway after a few minutes.

"I hope you haven't gotten too bored. There are some books over there if you'd like to check them out, but none of them are about architecture." Duncan spoke, sitting down across you. "Anyway, my sister's quite busy in the kitchen right now, so she'll meet you later. I know it's most likely that you know our names already, but for the sake of formality I'll still introduce him. Quigley, get in here. This is Quigley Quagmire in the flesh."

"You know the last part seems unnecessary, considering that everyone knows that I've been alive for years." The young hazel-eyed adult appeared from the doorway, his eyes widening upon laying his eyes on you. Quigley Quagmire resembled his brother very similarly. The only physical distinction they had from each other (aside from clothing) is that they had different eye colors. Quigley's eyes were hazel, Duncan's were green, and if you remember correctly, Isadora had green eyes. This was an extremely rare occurrence for identical triplets, but it had been possible and the Quagmire Triplets were living proof of this rarity.

You smiled and gave him a friendly wave. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Quigley Quagmire." You didn't bother mentioning that you've already met this Quagmire triplet before, knowing that it would most likely be brought up in a later conversation within the night. You've had several notable encounters with Quigley in the past, the last one being 10 years ago when you dropped him off at the remains of Anwhistle Aquatics.

"You look like you've seen a ghost. Is something wrong, Quigley?" Duncan remarked, seeming confused by his brother's reaction upon the sight of you. On the other hand, you were amused with Quigley being genuinely surprised by your sudden presence. You wondered if Quigley could have possibly assumed that you had perished long ago, but decided to ask him later.

"DUNCAN! Dinner's almost ready, could you come here for a while?" Isadora yelled from the other side of the doorway. "I'm doing some last-touch preparations, this will be quick." You quickly assumed that the kitchen was probably in one of the rooms past the doorway, as you could also smell the savory scent of an unknown dish.

"I'll be right back. Quigley, go keep our guest company." Duncan said and headed back to assist his sister with dinner preparations.

"Scarlet Fox. You've been alive all these years?" Quigley addressed you with your alias, a name that hadn't been used for such a very long time. "Is V.F.D. still an active organization?"

"Yes, I've been alive all these years. As for your question about V.F.D. activities, wouldn't it be better if I answered that question with both of your siblings in the same room?" You replied, eyeing a golden ring on his left hand. You assumed that he was possibly engaged to Violet Baudelaire, but considering that you weren't able to track down the activities of Baudelaire orphans for the last three years, you weren't entirely sure.

"I suppose you're right."

"Before I say anything else, I sincerely apologize for my sudden interruption in your lives. It's just that some part of me feels guilty for wanting to involve you into any V.F.D.-related activities again, knowing that you and your siblings are currently living peaceful lives." You sighed, becoming unsure of how much information you should reveal to the Quagmire triplets. "Honestly, there is so much information that I want to share with you and your siblings, considering that you were unofficially a volunteer and your siblings learned a lot about the organization, but..."

"Okay, I understand where you're coming from." Quigley nodded, sitting down beside you. "But my parents were volunteers, Scarlet. If they were here right now, it's safe to assume that my siblings and I would have become active members of the Volunteer Fire Department as well."

"A lot of parents are dead because they were involved with V.F.D. activities," You reminded him. "They didn't have a choice when they were recruited back then. You and your siblings can still refuse to get involved again. No one's going to grab you by your ankles when you're asleep."

Quigley looked at you straight in the eye. "We may be living peaceful and stable lives already, but that doesn't mean we dismissed the importance of V.F.D. in our past. I'm ready to volunteer again, even if it means taking unpredictable risks and possibly lose the chance of having an ordinary life of normalcy again."

You saw how insistent Quigley was about wanting to get involved with V.F.D. again, and decided not to argue with him about backing out. He did serve as an unofficial volunteer around 10 years ago, where he triumphed upon the successful retrieval of the sugar bowl. Had the living members been plentiful and Hotel Denouement not reduced into ashes, the volunteers would have probably thrown a cocktail party to celebrate Quigley's success.

"Alright, I acknowledge your decision. But what about your siblings? Surely you must have discussed this matter with them before?"

"As a matter of fact, I've asked them several times before. Not that I had solid evidence that V.F.D. were continuing their activities, but as potential "what-ifs" that could occur in the future. Duncan says he wouldn't mind since he has a lot of connections all over the districts. He could easily acquire certain information and pull some strings if he needed to. As for Isadora, well..." Quigley lowered his voice. "She would rather not get involved with V.F.D. ever again, and insists that our parents would have understood if one of us refused to be recruited. One could say that Isadora's actually happy with her life right now."

"I bet she'd be happier if she finds out any news regarding the disappearance of the Baudelaires." Duncan piped in, appearing from the doorway. "Dinner's ready. Come on. Isadora won't be pleased if you let the food go cold." He headed back inside.

You stood up and noticed Quigley staring oddly at you as if he was looking at a ghost instead of a real person. "Quigley, what is it?" You couldn't figure out what was bothering him. Maybe there was something on you face?

"Scarlet Fox's not your real name," Quigley stated as if he'd only realized that right now.

"Of course it's not. It took you 10 years to figure that out?" You looked at him in disbelief. You briefly remembered that a few years ago, a number of V.F.D.'s enemies had set out hunting traps all over various locations, thinking that "Scarlet Fox" was an actual fox. It had been hilarious, and you didn't even bother to find out what made your enemies assume that your alias referred to an actual forest creature.

"There were a lot of V.F.D. members who had uncommon names," the Quagmire triplet insisted. "Dashiell Qwerty. Walleye. Scarlet Fox seems like a perfectly sensible name for a volunteer."

"Your argument is not valid. Scarlet Fox obviously sounds like a made-up superhero name by children."

"I prefer to disagree with your logic."

"I prefer to further disagree with your logic."

"What's taking you two so long? The dining room is literally a few meters away from the living room." Duncan asked, appearing in the doorway again. "You seem surprisingly friendly with each other. Have you two met before?"

"Yes, she was the one who drove the helicopter when I was tasked to retrieve the sugar bowl. She was fourteen back then, so naturally I didn't trust her aviation skills at first." Quigley answered him. "We've got a lot of catching up to do, haven't we?" He smiled at you, but you felt like there was something else hidden behind his smile. You said nothing and smiled back at him in response.

As a volunteer, you had been accustomed to question even the smallest of details, so you naturally assumed that it was possible that Quigley had hidden motives for wanting to "catch up" with you. Or maybe you were just being paranoid, maybe this Quagmire triplet genuinely wanted to know how you were doing in the present. You weren't sure at all, but you decided that you would find out later. Right now it was time for dinner, and you followed Duncan into the dining room to finally meet the female Quagmire triplet.


	2. Chapter 2

Accompanied by the male Quagmire triplets, you entered the next room to meet their sister. The dining area was quite bigger compared to the living room area. The kitchen was located on the far side of the room, with a fancy dining set across it. A small old-fashioned chandelier hung in the center of the ceiling. The dining set was comprised of a sleek white table with 8 white dining chairs that had elegant gold-colored cushions. A small feast of roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, and chicken alfredo pasta was laid out on the table. It was notable that this area had gold and white for its main color scheme, leaving you wondering if these colors had any significance to the Quagmires, or were they simply chosen out of random.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Isadora Quagmire was sitting in the middle of the longer side of table. She was dressed in a school uniform similar to her siblings (but had a skirt instead of pants, obviously), and her shoulder-length brown hair was neatly tucked behind her ears. She looked exactly the same as you had seen her in certain V.F.D. files, except that she was older now. “I’m Isadora Quagmire. Do you have any allergies?”

“None, but thank you for asking.” You weren’t surprised by her question at all, you already assumed that it had something to do with an experience regarding the Baudelaire orphans’ food allergy. You chose the seat directly across her, with Quigley occupying the seat on your right and Duncan sitting beside his sister. “My name’s [Y/N] [L/N]. They used to call me “Scarlet Fox” so that no one would be able to trace my identity, but nowadays I just go by [Name]. I’m one of the volunteers who survived after Hotel Denouement was burnt down.” You were sure that they had many questions, and you also had some questions of your own, so you decided to let them ask first. You wanted them to know that they could trust you, but at the same time you were not sure about how much information you were willing to share.

“Does V.F.D. still have active members?” Duncan asked. It was his previous question from earlier.

“Yes. They’re actually training a new generation of volunteers, but with more refined methods this time.” You replied, getting a small portion of roast beef into your plate. It was cooked well and tasted savory enough for your liking.

“I assume you’re one of those trainers.” Quigley said before taking in a forkful of creamy pasta.

You shook your head. “I haven’t been in direct contact with the new volunteers and their mentors. It took me months to track down a trusted associate to confirm that V.F.D. continued to be active.”

“Do you know where the Baudelaires are?” Isadora asked with a hint of sadness in her voice. You were aware that the Quagmires and the Baudelaires had been very close, that they considered each other as family.

“I haven’t seen them since the last three years.” You admitted. “I do know that a certain Beatrice Baudelaire’s been in the City recently. She’s been sending letters to Lemony…” You continued to exchange information with the Quagmires throughout the entire meal, being careful not to say any information that could get them into trouble. You didn’t directly tell them that you were fully aware of what had happened to the Quagmires after the destruction of Hotel Denouement, as you just realized that it could sound like you were stalking them. In your defense, keeping track of the Quagmire triplets’ activities had been your previous task all along. You were the volunteer assigned to the Quagmire orphans, just as Jacques was assigned to the Baudelaire orphans. Even if V.F.D. had dismantled for short period after the last safe place was destroyed, you still continued to fulfill your duties in secret.

Basically, Quigley was able to reunite with Hector and his siblings in the Self-Sustaining Hot Air Mobile Home. They stayed in the air with Hector for a long time, only landing to replenish their supplies and other items of interest. Hector was able to teach them a lot of things, as he fully supported their decision about wanting to pursue a higher education when they became older. When the triplets finally reached the age of 18, they were able to access their fortune and decided to purchase a house in the City, as well as to continue their education. On the day that the Quagmires planned to visit the bank for their inheritance, they decided to stop by Briny Beach first.

The Quagmires confirmed your suspicions on the Baudelaires’ fates after returning to the mainland: they were able to reunite at Briny Beach, along with a young Beatrice Baudelaire II. The Baudelaires stayed with Hector for a few days until the Quagmires were able to purchase their own residence. Hector had respected the Quagmires’ decision to start living in the City, and assured them that he would visit and that they were always welcome to live with him again, should they suddenly get bored of the city life. As for the Baudelaires, they lived with the Quagmires for around 3 years. Since they were still considered as criminals, they could not access their fortune without alerting the authorities of their existence. Unfortunately, all of their alleged crimes were not qualified for bail. They decided to change their identities instead, in order to stay with Beatrice II and fulfill their promise to the late Kit Snicket. Both Violet and Klaus had to dye their hair blonde, which had matched Sunny’s natural hair color. Klaus started wearing contact lenses, but retained his glasses whenever he was in the Quagmires’ residence. They took the Snicket family name, in honor of Kit Snicket, and as well as to avoid any suspicions about the younger Beatrice’s relation to them. The Quagmire triplets had aced the admission tests for a well-known university and continued to pursue higher education. As for the Baudelaires; Sunny started a food business (which became successful), Violet offered repair services (and created inventions in her spare time), and Klaus homeschooled the younger Beatrice (and spent most of his time in the Quagmire triplets’ library). The Quagmires and the Baudelaires were able to live in peace and happiness for a while.

That was until the 3 Baudelaires suddenly disappeared a few years later. It was as if they had literally vanished without a trace. The younger Beatrice could not handle being away from her adoptive siblings, and left the Quagmires shortly after to search for them. The Quagmires tried to stop her from leaving, especially since the younger Beatrice was a mere child, but decided to let her go at the end. The triplets expressed regret about their decision, for the younger Beatrice never returned afterwards.

“The younger Beatrice now refers to herself as Beatrice Baudelaire. One would think that she did this to show how much she honors her adoptive siblings, but it could be perceived as wanting to grab the attention of certain people. If the Baudelaires heard that there was someone alive named “Beatrice Baudelaire”, they’d probably be curious.” You explained. “There may have been a survivor of the fire, but—” You stopped mid-sentence, realizing that you may have said too much.

"But that survivor is me," Quigley continued, not realizing that you were referring to someone else. "Also, I think the Baudelaires would probably realize that this "Beatrice Baudelaire" could be no one else but Kit's daughter. Unless..."

"Unless there is public evidence that it could be someone else," You stated, finishing the last of the mashed potatoes on your plate. You just realized that all this time, Quigley must have assumed that he was the one being referred as the "survivor of the fire" in the destroyed Snicket File. The file's contributors should have specified which fire that was, but that did not matter right now. "However... There would be no reason for anyone to impersonate the late Beatrice Baudelaire."

"There could be one. If one of my theories is correct and the Baudelaires are actually in hiding, then someone could actually lure them out by impersonating one of their late parents." Duncan said, surprising both of his siblings. "It's a terrible idea, but the possibility that it could work still remains."

You actually considered Duncan's idea for a moment, but your sense of justice quickly took over. It was clearly not a noble thing to do, as much as the outcome could have been preferrable. “That would be a risky gamble. And it’s not something that a volunteer would choose to do.”

“[Name]’s right. Not even a volunteer would consider doing that.” Quigley agreed, shooting a dirty look at his brother.

“How could you even suggest that?” Isadora exasperatedly asked. “Are you out of your mind?!”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was thinking.” Duncan immediately apologized. “So, if it’s true that Beatrice has been in the City, then why hasn’t she visited us even just once?”

But you had a feeling that you knew why Duncan had come up with that particular suggestion. He was a journalist after all, and journalists were always encouraged to explore a multitude of perspectives. “I’m not sure, but I think it’s most likely the same reason why I chose not to make contact with you earlier.” You admitted. “And that reason is not wanting to involve any of you with V.F.D. matters.” Whoops. You didn’t mean to say the last part, but it slipped out already.

“What does V.F.D. have to do with Beatrice?” Isadora asked. “Oh.” The Quagmire triplets looked at each other in unison, probably realizing the same conclusion to what you were implying.

“Beatrice was recruited as a volunteer,” Quigley said.

“Maybe. But if anyone asks where and from whom did you find out that information, you’re obligated to say that it’s not from me.” You replied half-jokingly. “Anyway… It’s totally understandable if any of you would rather not be involved with V.F.D. again.”

“My siblings and I need more time to discuss this,” Isadora declared, looking at Quigley in particular. “Right, Duncan?”

Duncan nodded and stood up from the table. “I’ll do the dishes tonight.”

“The roast beef was delicious. Thank you for the meal, Quagmires. If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll be taking my leave now.” You knew that all three of them had 8 a.m. classes the next day, and they probably had other things to do for the rest of the evening.

“[Name], I still don’t understand why you wanted to reach out to us,” Isadora admitted. “We don’t seem to have any information that seems significant to any volunteer-related activities. What were you expecting to gain from this encounter?”

“I’m not sure how much more I can tell you until you’ve made your decision.” You stood up and prepared to leave. “But I suppose there’s no harm in telling you this: I’m looking for Beatrice Baudelaire II.”


	3. Chapter 3

Isadora Quagmire glanced at you with a small smile, but a hint of sterness was evident in her voice as she spoke. “Well Miss [L/N], it has been a pleasure a meeting you. I’m afraid we don’t have any leads on Beatrice’s whereabouts. All that we are certain of is that she’s continuing to seek out for Violet, Sunny, and Klaus.” Her friendly demeanor from moments ago had instantly shifted into a light state of rudeness, although she did remain respectful. But you immediately understood and didn’t need to question her sudden change of behavior. You were glad that Quigley had given you a heads-up about his sister’s opinion on the odds of rejoining V.F.D. earlier.

“It was a pleasure as well, Quagmires. I’ll be leaving now.” You said and headed for the front door. “Should you need to contact me for any reason at all, leave a rose on your front windows. Red for urgent matters and white for a minimum of 1-3 days.” Noticing that Quigley was giving you a funny look again, you figured that he was probably just messing around this time. You decided to ignore him and left the Quagmires residence, half-expecting that he would follow you on the way out. But it was the other male triplet that had run up to you, just as you had walked a few blocks away from their home.

“You walk… Really fast…” Duncan panted, trying to catch his breath as he suddenly appeared beside you. Had you not looked into his eyes, you would have assumed that he was Quigley. You knew that Quigley probably had a dozen questions about V.F.D. that he wouldn’t be comfortable discussing with his sister around. If it had been Isadora, she might have offered an apology for her displayed behavior earlier, but it was very unlikely for her thoughts about rejoining V.F.D. to change that fast. With Duncan… You were absolutely clueless. You were sure that there wasn’t anything that you had left back at their home (except for the tension between you and Isadora). Maybe he also had some questions of his own? You were not sure at all.

“I thought you were going to do the dishes.” You mumbled. “How can I help you, Mr. Quagmire?”

“It’s just Duncan. There’s no need for formalities, [Name].” Duncan replied, joining you on your walk. “On behalf of my sister, I’d like to apologize for the way she talked to you after dinner. It’s just that anything about that organization disturbs her a lot. When I told her about you earlier, she was hoping for any information about Klaus. Not just Klaus of course, but also his siblings and Beatrice.”

“It’s understandable. Quigley already informed me beforehand that your sister might not be as welcoming.” An apology really wasn’t necessary, but you appreciated Duncan’s efforts to deliver one to you anyway.

“There’s also something else. I want to offer my assistance to you. Even though it seems that you are capable of gathering information without anyone’s help…”

“There are better places to talk about business arrangements.” You continued to walk on, thinking about a number of places that would be considered safe for important conversations. “Would you care for a root beer float?”

Duncan’s eyes lit up. “I happen to know where they serve the best root beer floats in the City.”

It turns out that this Quagmire had once written an article about food reviews around the City, and also had an extensive knowledge about food thanks to Sunny Baudelaire. The two of you conversed in food-related topics throughout your walk, with Duncan occasionally pointing at a restaurant or diner nearby and stating his opinion about their best and worst dishes.

“You know, you’re actually a good conversationalist.” You quietly admitted.

“Thanks. I get that from a lot of people. You’re not so bad yourself.” Duncan chuckled.

A few more blocks later and you arrived at the place where Duncan had claimed that they served the City’s best root beer floats. It was at a humble soda shop, one that didn’t attract too many customers but had enough to make a living. It definitely was known for its signature root beer, as you noticed majority of their customers had ordered that beverage in particular. You both chose the table farthest from the entrance, which was on the right side corner of the soda shop. The waiter delivered your order in a few minutes, which consisted of two root beer floats. Duncan thanked politely him and gave a generous tip before he left our table.

“Tell me about that business proposal you were saying earlier.” You said before taking a sip of the famous fizzy beverage. It was the right amount of sweetness, but had a sharper taste compared to regular root beer.

“Well, the truth is I had originally planned to accept if V.F.D. would recruit me in the future. But since I took up a course in writing and a job as a journalist, things have changed and my schedule’s quite hectic. However, if you ever need assistance regarding particular information, I may able to pull some strings for you.” Duncan explained. “It’s the least that I could do for you.”

So this Quagmire was offering to be an informant. Although he sounded genuinely sincere, you wondered about his real motives.

“That would be highly appreciated. Is there anything you’re expecting in return, though?” You doubted that he needed money, knowing that it would take such a long time for the Quagmire fortune to run out.

“Nothing at all. V.F.D. was able to reunite my family and I feel like it’s just fair that I give back to V.F.D., even if I’m not officially a volunteer.” he replied with a smile.

“Thank you, Duncan. You have no idea how grateful I am for your assistance. It’s been hard for me to work alone during these past few years... I’ll give you a list of names right now.” You told him, and started scribbling names on a clean table napkin. These were names of people who were acquainted with V.F.D.’s enemies, most of them still alive but unknown if they continue to be active or not.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you meet my brother? There something about the way that he looked at you earlier.”

Oh. Was that supposed to be a good thing, or a bad thing? You weren’t exactly sure.

“It’s a long story. Can you still spare a few minutes? I know you have classes early tomorrow, and I don’t want to be the reason why you might wake up late.” You said to him. “Most students from your school have early classes on their schedules, I assumed that you’re one of them.”

“A brilliant observation,” Duncan chuckled. “However, I’m used to staying up late due to my journalism responsibilities. I always manage to arrive on time, even I only get a few hours of sleep.”

“Alright then. I was a recordkeeper apprentice, who was put in charge of the Quagmire children case. That meant I had to track down you and your siblings and record as much significant activity as I could gather.” You took a deep breath before continuing . “I was there when you and your sister were dropped off at Prufock Prep. I was there when I saw Fernald dragged you out of the library. I was there when Count Olaf entered the Squalor residence at 667 Dark Avenue. I was was there in the shadows, watching within a distance because I wasn’t allowed to interfere directly.”

The curious look on Duncan face’s remained unchanged. Perhaps he had already suspected this.

“After the auction, I got new instructions from Jacques Snicket. Find Quigley Quagmire, who miraculously survived, and take him to the headquarters of the Valley of the Four Drafts. Jacques told me he would go to the Village of Fowl Devotees, where he would rescue the Baudelaires and the Quagmires. It took me a while to track Quigley, but I found him on one of the nationwide trolleys. I decided not to engage contact with him until he reached his stop. However, a few stops later, I received a message from one of our crows that Jacques was in immediate danger. I left the trolley as soon as we reached the Village of Fowl Devotees without finding out where your brother was heading to. But I was too late. Jacques was already… gone. Jacques… He was like a father to me. The villagers wouldn’t even tell me the complete details, they just claimed that the Baudelaires had killed Jacques in prison… I was so angry that I wanted to burn down the village and to get rid of their stupid laws…” You didn’t realize that you were seething already until Duncan had reached over the table to gently pat your hand.

“It’s okay. You skip the parts you’re not comfortable with sharing.” The Quagmire triplet told you, resting his palm on top of your hand as an attempt to calm you down.

“Your siblings and the Baudelaires had left the village as well, but none of the villagers knew where they went. They also mention someone else who left. His was name Hector, and I realized that he was someone that I knew, but was barely acquainted with. He was a former volunteer, but he probably didn’t remember anymore. My mentors told me that a part of his memories were repressed due to certain traumatic encounters. Anyway, I went back to the trolley station and tracked down the trolley driver who last saw Quigley. Apparently Quigley had gotten off at Mortmain Mountains, so that’s where I headed first. I gave your brother some supplies and stayed with him for a while, until I received instructions that Kit Snicket was in the area and that I should assist her. I pointed him in the direction of the Snow Scouts for better chances of survival and reaching the headquarters. While I was searching for Kit, I witnessed the murder of 3 individuals by Count Olaf’s mentors. I quickly sent word to my remaining allies, and was told to return to the City immediately. By the time that I returned, Kit was back already. She found your brother at the Department of Orphan Affairs, and instructed me to assist him in the retrieval of the sugar bowl. And since your brother clearly didn’t have any knowledge of how to drive a helicopter, Kit decided that I would drive the helicopter that Quigley and I were taking. After I dropped off Quigley at Anwhistle Aquatics, I immediately received information that a certain aerial mobile home was headed at our present location a few miles away, so I told Quigley to wait down there. I probably should have told him why, but I didn’t have enough time. I was told to go to the Hotel Denouement afterwards. Finding you and your siblings 10 years later wasn’t so hard, given that one of them happens to be well-known in the world of writing. That’s basically it.”

“I see…” was all that Duncan remarked after you finished your storytelling.

You waited to see if he had a delayed reaction or had anything else to say, but he remained silent. The root beer you were having was down to the last few sips. You took your time to savor its taste, and decided that you were definitely going back to this soda shop some other time.

“If you’re making an assumption that I was a bystander all this time, maybe I was. Even if I had wanted to interfere, it simply wasn’t possible.” Guilt quietly rose inside of you. It was undeniable that you could have done more back then, but your former cowardice at disobeying V.F.D.’s orders had stopped you from doing so. 

“You were just doing your job. Honestly if you think about it, it’s the adults who should have done more.” Duncan sighed. He eyed the table napkin that you had written on earlier. “Who are these people?”

“They’re known to have ties with V.F.D.’s enemies. I want to know if they’re still in the City, and if they’ve been having any activities of interest.”

“I’ll see what I can find.” Duncan took the table napkin from you and folded it neatly.

You smiled at him in response, finishing the last of your root beer. “Thank you, Duncan. Anyway… Do you want to meet up here again next time?”

“That would be great,” he smiled back at you. “Red for urgent and white for non-urgent matters, right?”

“That’s correct, hopefully you won’t forget. I’ll see you soon.” You bid the Quagmire triplet goodbye and left the soda shop, heading for your apartment. The apartment that you owned was a few streets away from the soda shop, so you decided to take a taxi to save you from miles of walking. You still had no idea why Duncan was quick to put his trust in you, but you appreciated it anyway. After being able to establish contact with the Quagmire triplets, you thought about your other remaining tasks. Now that Duncan had offered his help, you silently hoped that you would now make some actual progress in your search for Beatrice Baudelaire II.


End file.
